New Zealand welcomes first direct air link with Vietnam

It will begin the 11-hour direct flights to Ho Chi Minh in June and will operate three flights a week until October on a seasonal service using a Boeing 767.

Airfares had not been set but prices would be competitive when they go on sale early in 2015, he said.

With the addition of services to Ho Chi Minh City, Air New Zealand will fly to 30 worldwide destinations.

Norris Carter, Auckland Airport’s general manager – aeronautical commercial, says, “Air New Zealand’s decision to fly to this much loved Vietnamese city is great news for both the New Zealand tourism industry and Kiwis who love to travel overseas”.

Last week, Air New Zealand said it bought 15 new ATR72-600 aircraft worth a total US$375 million, of which four would be allocated to grow local regional routes in a bid to fend off Jetstar’s expansion. Vietnam-bound travellers must now connect in Australia or Asia, and Air New Zealand has codeshares in operation with Singapore Airlines to Ho Chi Minh City in the south, Da Nang on the country’s south central coast, and Hanoi in the north.

With two more Dreamliners to come than the 767s they are replacing, and the looming possibility of overcapacity on US-bound routes with the entry of American Airlines and United (starting next June and July, respectively) it wouldn’t be surprising if Air New Zealand were to announce further initial test services to new markets over the next months.

It opened up Vietnam to compete with Thailand and Bali as a popular holiday spot for families and couples looking for a slightly different destination, he said.

Editor in Chief of Flightpath magazine Geoffrey Thomas expects Air New Zealand to be innovative with its plans moving forward, particularly with the increased interest from global airlines in New Zealand. Dairy makes up about half of New Zealand’s exports.

Statistics New Zealand figures show almost 16,000 travellers left New Zealand for Vietnam in the 12 months to September, which was flat on the same period the previous year. At the moment, Vietnam seems to be more of an adventure destination.

“We’re confident that by offering a direct service even more Kiwis will be keen to explore it”.

Air New Zealand starts flying Auckland to Buenos Aires three times a week from December 1 and Auckland to Houston five times a week from December 15.